The University community is mourning the loss of a man who was pivotal to the history of Brock Sports.

Longtime rugby coach and staff member Ken White (BA ’91) passed away peacefully in St. Catharines on Friday, Nov. 27 at the age of 70.

White worked at the University for 35 years before retiring in 2009, yet always remained woven through the fabric of the men’s rugby program.

He served in Central Receiving and Mail Services beginning in 1974 and transferred to a buyer position in Procurement Services in 1991.

Before he was a coach, Ken White played for Brock during the 1970-71 season (front row, fourth from right).

“Ken was one of those guys that you always knew when you were in the same room with him,” said Kevin Lawr, Supervisor, Central Receiving and Shipping/Mail. “He liked to make people laugh and keep things light. Ken was the life of the party, and exemplified camaraderie in the workplace.”

That gregariousness naturally translated onto the rugby field. His former players and coaches said that attitude navigated the program through rough waters and kept the team alive.

Former Brock men’s rugby coach Les Gilson (BPhEd ’95) had the unique opportunity to coach alongside White and play for him as a student-athlete in the early 1990s.

“Ken always had a smile when he was on the rugby field, no matter what was going on. He always had a positive attitude. You wouldn’t be able to tell if we won or lost when you talked to Ken after the game,” said Gilson, who served as head coach from 2003 to 2010. “Ken was a competitive guy, but he had this way about him that always included a positive outlook. He just loved the fact that we were playing.”

White enjoyed the rugby community, the gentleman’s attitude towards the sport and sharing war stories with opposing teams.

It was his passion for the sport that kept the team alive through ups and downs through the 1980s and 90s. Head coaches would come and go, but White always stepped up to help with whatever needed to be done.

“Brock rugby wouldn’t have a history without Ken,” said Gilson. “He was there for that program.”

White was also there for Gilson when he coached the team to its first Ontario University Athletics championship title over longtime powerhouse Queen’s at Fletcher’s Fields in Markham in 2007.

White had taken a brief step back from coaching during that season, but he made the drive to Markham to watch his beloved Badgers.

Fans and players alike stormed the field when Brock pulled off the upset by a score of 22-6.

Amid the celebratory chaos, White found Gilson and the two hugged. No words were exchanged.

“It was as if all of the time he had put into the program led to that moment,” said Gilson. “We were the best of the best, so to have that accomplishment after living through all the losing seasons and having the crap kicked out of you on the rugby field, to have that moment for him and witness his program reach the highest heights … he took a lot of pride in that.”

Ken White (second from right) was never one to miss the action as he stayed involved with the Brock men’s rugby team even after his retirement in 2009.

A total of 17 players from the 22-man roster who competed in that championship game went on to represent Canada on the national and international stage.

Greig Inglis (BPhEd ’98, PhD ’19) played for White during the early 1990s and echoed Gilson’s sentiment of White being a linchpin for the health of the program.

“Ken was truly a builder of the Brock rugby program, and the Brock community as a whole,” said Inglis. “The rugby program would have been cancelled many times without Ken’s hard work and influence. Ken will be dearly missed by the Brock rugby community and alumni.”

After learning of White’s passing, former Badger and Rugby Canada captain Ray Barkwill (BSc ’10) rallied the Brock Rugby Alumni group to raise money to plant trees on White’s behalf and to make a donation to the Canadian Tire Jump Start program, which aims to give children equal access to sports.

“Ken was a big, positive influence within the Brock community,” said Barkwill. “Ken and (former Associate Professor) Alun Hughes, who passed away in 2013, are the ones who kept our program together during a time when it wasn’t as resilient as it is today. Ken embodied the gentleman’s side of our sport. His values in sport were the same in life.”

White’s legacy transcends more than just playing a game, added Gilson.

“So many student-athletes that Ken worked with went on to be outstanding doctors, police officers, husbands and fathers,” said Gilson. “The quality of people that program has produced is a truly reflection of Ken White.”